


End of the World Be Damned

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: Episode: s02e06 Fallout, F/M, First Kiss, Near Death Experiences, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 23:04:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21310096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: As the threat of the missile gets closer, Tim thinks about what he wants in what could be his last moments.
Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 17
Kudos: 137





	End of the World Be Damned

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic for these two. I’ve been shipping them for a while and finally gave into my need to write something for them.

The world is ending, or at least that's what they're supposed to believe. It's down to minutes now. Minutes before this damn city and the people in it could be blown up. 

He should be more afraid, he supposes. But he's not, at least not for himself. Part of him still wants to believe it's all a false alarm. 

But what if it's not? What if these are his last moments here? What if he dies in this damn convenience store with only Chen for company? No, not _ only. _ There is no only Chen. If he was honest with himself he’d admit that he prefers her company here at the end over anyone else’s.

He takes a long pull from his whiskey and glances at Chen to see her gripping her bottle tightly as she stares out the window. The world has gone eerily still now. 

"At least they all stopped terrorizing each other in the end," she says. She sighs and takes a drink of her tequila. 

"Sorry you're stuck here with me, Boot," Tim says. 

She turns her head towards him, a small smile gracing her lips. "You're not the worst company to have at the end of the world."

Tim finds himself smiling. Something that's getting harder not to do around her. He knows why. It's the same reason things didn't work out with her friend. And if he is going to die, he's not about to spend his last moments denying it. 

He puts his bottle down and then takes hers, ignoring the questioning noise she makes. 

"We could die in a few minutes," Tim says. 

"We could," says Chen, taking a step closer. "Are you scared?"

"I don't care what happens to me, Boot," Tim says. 

"That wasn't an answer," Chen presses with a smile. "I think you are scared. I think…"

He kisses her. He closes those last few inches between them and takes her face in his hands and kisses her. He kisses her like the world its ending, because for all he knows it is. 

If these are his last moments he can't think of a better way to spend them than here. Not that he'd ever tell Chen that. She's insufferable enough as it is. They stay like that, wrapped up in each other. End of the world be damned. Except of course...

"The world didn't end," she says. She's smiling, a smile he can't help but return, even if it is brief.

"That can't happen again," Tim tells her. He hates the words, but they both know they're true. "You're still my rookie. It…"

"I know," she says.

She's still there. Still so close. She's watching him, eyes assessing as she waits to see what his next move is. He knows he should pull back, but he doesn't. Not yet. 

She rests her head against his and he sighs, "Lucy."

"I won't be your rookie forever," she reminds him. 

"You won't," he agrees, knowing where this is going. "But I'm not going to ask you to wait."

"I know," she says. "I don't expect you to either. But if when the time comes and we still feel the same way…"

He wants to tell her he will still feel this way. He can't see his feelings changing, except to grow deeper. He can't tell her that. Instead he says, "We'll see where we're at when the time comes."

It's not a promise. He knows better than to give her one. From the smile she gives him, it's enough. He lets it be enough for him too.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day ♥  
[My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


End file.
